The ranchers at the center of the Oregon standoff

As the standoff on the deserted outskirts of the eastern Oregon town of Burns stretched through its third day, the two cattle ranchers at the center of the conflict surrendered themselves at a federal prison in California.

During a Monday afternoon press conference, Harney County Sheriff David Ward called on militia members occupying the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to "end this peacefully," saying, "You said you wanted to help the citizens. That ended with your occupation. Go home now to your families."

In a last-ditch effort to avoid prison time, the Hammonds reportedly will appeal for clemency from President Barack Obama.

The two men were convicted on arson charges stemming from fires they set that spread to public land in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2001 and 2006.

Over the weekend, the Hammond family, speaking through their attorneys, publicly distanced themselves from Ammon Bundy and his band of some 20 armed militiamen, who split off from a rally in support of the ranchers on Saturday and seized a federal building about 30 miles south of Burns.

Bundy, who called the Hammonds' case unjust and a violation of the constitution and whose family has had its own run-ins with federal land authorities, had offered the Hammonds sanctuary inside the occupied federal building, which he said they could live in "for years."

Who are the Hammonds?

The Hammonds are cattle ranchers. Dwight Hammond was about 22 when he moved to eastern Oregon's Diamond Valley, where he and his wife Susan started Hammond Ranches Inc., beginning with about 7,000 acres, according to The Oregonian. Today, their cattle ranch spans about 12,000 acres.

Over the years, the Hammonds became influential figures in the region, serving on school boards and nonprofit boards. Steven Hammond once served as president of the Harney County Farm Bureau. The ranchers' strong stance against the U.S. government's management of federal lands they believe belong to the public has been popular among locals, as well as constitutionalists and sympathetic ranchers around the country.

A private sign welcomes visitors to the Diamond Valley, part of the Harney Basin in southeast Oregon. The valley is home to large cattle ranches that rely on both private and public land for grazing.

Past troubles

Turning their stances into actions has led the Hammonds into trouble on several occasions.

According to the High Country News, "[Dwight] Hammond allegedly made death threats against previous managers [of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge] in 1986 and 1988 and against [Forrest] Cameron, the current manager, in 1991 and again [in 1994]." It said that both Dwight and Steven were arrested and charged with two counts each for "disturbing and interfering with" federal officials in 1994.

Between 1994 and 1999, the Hammonds had at least two more run-ins with federal land authorities. In one case, Steven Hammond reportedly fired shots at hunters on BLM property near his ranch.

Arson convictions

The current conflict stems from the sentences handed down following convictions for incidents that occurred in 2001 and 2006. According to federal authorities, Steven Hammond set fire to land managed by the BLM in 2001 that burned 139 acres of public land in order to cover up an illegal dear hunt, according to a the Department of Justice.

Steven Hammond claimed the fire was started on Hammond property to burn off invasive species and had inadvertently spread onto public lands.

In 2006, the Hammonds started another fire that burned an additional acre of federal land.

Both father and son were convicted in 2012. Dwight Hammond was sentenced to three months behind bars, while his son was given one year.

But the sentences were well below what the law required based upon the convictions. By law, arson on federal land carries a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence. When the Hammonds were first sentenced, they argued that the mandatory minimum terms were unconstitutional and the trial court agreed.

But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, upheld the federal law, reasoning that "given the seriousness of arson, a five-year sentence is not grossly disproportionate to the offense."

The Hammonds are to turn themselves in on Monday to begin serving the remainder of their 5-year sentences.

On Saturday, hundreds of supporters marched through Burns to protest the sentences, stopping by the Hammond home, where Dwight came outside to meet them.

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